Dante and the Order of the Dhampir
by ZoFran
Summary: Sequel to Dante and the Three Graces


Danteand the

Order of the Dhampir

**By ZoFran**

Graveyards had never scared Dante. He had bigger things to worry about than a bunch of rotting bones.

What concerned him now was the demon he had been hunting for the past month

It was a sneaky little bastard but he had finally caught up with it in the outskirts of town and it was now hiding in the run down church he was standing in front of.

He smiled in grim satisfaction as he reached for his sword.

Smoke on the water rang faintly from the depths of his pocket. Dante groaned and shoved his hand through the discarded burger wrappers, shells and other miscellaneous junk to get to his cell phone.

"What?" He snapped.

"I see that living without any females for the past four months has severely reduced your social skills."

He rolled his eyes.

"What do you want Aglaia?"

"Just calling to see if you've caught that demon yet."

"I was just about to when you called."

"Then what'd you answer the phone for?"

Dante took a calming breath.

"Do you remember that little talk we had about no calling me unless its life or death?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Are you about to be dismembered by a demon?" He interrupted.

"Don't get all pissy."

"Aglaia," he warned.

"Okay, okay, just one more thing. Have you found out what the demon is yet or are you just going to burst in guns blazing without even knowing what it is?"  
"You're never gonna let me live that down are you? It was just that one time…"

"Once is all it takes. If we weren't there you would have got your arm bitten off."

Dante grumbled something unintelligible.

"I rest my case. Now hurry up and tell me what it is."

"It's just a low grade soul eater. Can I go kill it now, _Mom_?"

"Yeah, yeah, alright smart ass. Just try not to get yourself killed. You know how we think you as a much loved pet."

Dante snapped his phone shut.

"Women," he muttered, then threw the phone over his shoulder.

He started forward to the large front doors of the dilapidated church, taking his sword from his back as he went.

He eased open the heavy door, trying to make them creak as little as possible. Patches of moonlight eerily lit the dusty benches, but they didn't penetrate the shadows. He ignored his stomach which rolled sickeningly and his heart that thumped painfully.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," he whispered.

He whirled round at a rustling on his left. For several seconds he stood motionless, sword at the ready, waiting for the attack. When it didn't come, and nothing moved in the darkness he relaxed his stance, and cautiously moved forward to where he had heard the sound.

Scuffling behind him had him spinning about, sword ready once again.

"I know you're in here you piece of shit."

He edged further into the church, his eyes on every corner. The moonlight slid over his back as he moved through it. Out of the corner of his eye, darkness moved into the dull light. Once again he turned, weapon gripped tightly in his hands.

Black smoke flowed out of the gloom. As Dante watched, it curled upon itself and solidified into the black form of a small deformed child. Its grotesque body threw no shadow. It was its own shadow.

Dante smirked in triumph.

"Say your prayers buddy," he muttered as he advanced.

Another cloud of smoke brought him up short. Just as the first one had it formed the same shape of an ugly child. To the left of him Dante saw another form, then another took shape in front of him, then another.

"Oh, Shit."

He turned to retreat but stopped when he found himself facing at least fifty soul eaters staring at him with pitless eyes and gaping mouths.

Panic swelled in Dante's chest. When they came he wouldn't be able to fight them all off. There was a hoarse scream, like a dying animal, and they launched themselves at him, their shapeless mouths snapping hungrily.

Dante desperately swung his sword, but whenever he cut one down another took its place. In seconds they overwhelmed him, latching onto his arms and legs, dragging him to the ground. He felt his sword wenched out of his grasp. He cried out when one bit deeply into his arm, its needle like teeth sunk firmly into his flesh as it took its fill. But his blood ran unheeded from his wound. It didn't want his blood. Another bit into his leg. Another his other arm. More and more seized his skin in their tiny teeth.

Dante felt his strength ebbing away. Before he had struggled but his movements became weaker as he felt his energy draining, draining right out of his chest, out of his soul…

Dante renewed his struggles as he finally realised what they were doing.

Eating his soul. Soul eaters.

He'd always thought it was just a name, but felt all too real as his fight and desire to survive flowed out of him. Better just to sleep…

The screaming started again, from throats and mouths coated with is blood, and something more precious.

So far none had touched his chest, but now one climbed slowly on top of him. The screaming increased as it lowered its head toward his heart. It bit into him and immediately Dante felt as if he was being pulled out of his body. His own scream of pain was drowned out by the exited screaming of the soul eaters. His vision dimmed, the world moved, the pain turned to numbness. Gunshots echoed from far away…

Dante opened his eyes and immediately shut them again against the searing light.

"Aglaia! Thalia! Quick! He's waking up!"

He heard running footsteps.

"'Boat bloody time," someone muttered. Probably Aglaia.

He tried to speak but it came out in a hoarse whisper.

"Drink some water."

He felt the cold touch of glass on his lips and opened his mouth. The cool liquid ran down his throat and soothed it.

"The light," he managed to croak out.

"Thalia, get the curtains."

The light dimmed and Dante opened his eyes slowly. The Three Graces leant over him, all wearing worried expressions.

Aglaia was the first to mask the fear she had felt for him only a few hours ago.

"You're pretty damn lucky buddy."

Euphie followed her example and frowned.

"Do you know how close you were to getting your stupid ass killed?"

Dante opened his mouth, but she cut him off.

"If we hadn't come just in the nick of time you'd be a piece of meat, a husk, just an empty body without a soul."

"Not to mention they could have broken my bloody guns!" Aglaia burst out.

The other two rolled their eyes.

"Not your guns anymore," Thalia sighed.

"My ass they're not! And if you," she said, poking Dante in the chest. "Get so much as a scratch on them, I'll hunt you down and not even your fancy demon powers can save you when I get my hands on you."

"Take a chill pill Aglaia."

"You shut your pie hole, _Euphie_. You shouldn't even be arguing! You saw what those little bastards did to the sword you gave him, that could have been my guns!"

Thalia and Euphie exchanged glances but remained silent. Dante however was not so wise.

"Dude, calm down. If they're alright why are you getting so hot and bothered?"

"Why am I getting so hot and bothered? Why? Do you know how much those things cost? How many demons they've killed? You have to earn guns like that kid. Real hunters aren't fooled by a soul eater."

She turned on her heel and stalked away, slamming the door after her.

"What the hells her problem?"

Thalia just shook her head.

"Just leave it Dante. The main thing is that you showed us you aren't ready."

"Ready for what?"

"Ready to be a demon hunter."

"What?"

Dante threw the bedcovers off himself and leaped up.

"What do mean I'm not ready? I'm just as good as any of you."

Euphie raised an eyebrow.

"Not by a long shot kid, any one of us could take you down, and that's saying something about the son of Sparda."**  
**Dantes eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What does it say?"

"What we said before, you're not ready. You have to come back and continue your training. If you almost got killed by a soul eater you won't last six months on your own."

Dante struggled not to strangle her on the spot, or at least no to tell her where she could stick her 'training'.

"We aren't doing this to insult you Dante," she said quietly. "We're doing this because your no use to anyone as a half trained demon hunter. And we care about you."

Her last statement mollified him and he grudgingly muttered a 'fine' before shoving past them out the door.

Thalia found him on the rooftop staring at the horizon, watching the sun slip beneath its cover.

"Dude, dinner."

"Not hungry."

"Tell me something I can believe."

"Alright, you're annoying the shit out of me, so piss off."

"Touchy, touchy."

"I said piss off."

Ignoring him she sat down beside him.

"Having a nice sulk?"

When he didn't say anything she continued.

"I never indulged in them myself, they're a bit childish…Guess what?"

He remained silent.

"Go on, guess what…guess what…guess what…guess…"

"What!" he shouted.

She grinned impishly.

"Pig snot."

He swung his fist round but she easily evaded him, laughing hysterically.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes. "I couldn't resist."

Breathing deeply he glared at her murderously.

"I'm giving you five seconds, and if you don't fuck off I'm going to…"

"Gonna do what tough guy?"

The corner of his eye twitched involuntarily. He considered throwing her off the edge of the building but sat down again, staring resolutely away from her.

"See? Just like I thought," she said sitting next to him again, though maybe not as close as before. "You're just a pussy cat, after you've finished roaring."

Suddenly too tired to fight he just sighed and ran I hand over his face.

"What do you want Thalia?"

Her expression turned serious.

"You shouldn't be angry at us Dante. We mean well. We don't want to insult you but the fact is you're not ready. We can't let you go again unless we know you are, otherwise you'll just be killed. You have the ability to save so many lives Dante. We helped you once, let us help you again."

Dante watched the last sliver of sunlight leach of the sky. Night cast its shadows on the city, and let its creatures roam free.

"I said I would and I will."

Satisfied, she stood.

"Meet Euphie at 0800 at her desk. Don't be late."

With that she turned and was swallowed by the approaching night.

Dante struggled out of his dreams and was greeted by the weak light of morning. He twisted to look at the clock behind him. It was 8:02.

"Damn it all, can't even go back to sleep," he grumbled. He slowly pulled himself into sitting position and stretched. Then he jammed his feet into his boots and walked out of the apartment into the main office of the Three Graces.

Euphie was already at her desk, casually examining one of her shorter blades.

"Glad you could make it." She said mildly.

"No sarcasm before coffee," he grumbled.

"No time for caffeinated beverages now, we have a riveting morning of book learning."

Dante almost cried.

"Euphie please, anything but the books. I'll take on a whole hoard of Naberius, just please…no books."

"Tough cookies. If you had the common sense not to walk into the nest of a powerful breed of soul eaters maybe we could have skipped his part, but since you went charging into the biggest one in the city, you need to learn more about demon breeds and behaviour. What their weaknesses are, how they fight, how to kill them, et cetera."

"Oh come on, I grew up knowing all about demons…"

"That may be, but you obviously don't know enough. If I hadn't known what you were walking into you would be dead right now."

She bent down under her desk and pulled out several large and dusty volumes. Dante's nostrils tickled uncomfortably as the dust swirled in the air.

"Why didn't Aglaia know?"

"She hasn't done the extensive research I have or come from the background I have."  
"Care to share?"

"No," she said flatly. "I'm the demon expert out of all of us and I will teach you all I know about demons, which includes book learning."

She slapped one of the heavier looking texts in front of him.

"Start reading."

Nergals, ability to fly, feed on waste, teeth infectious, cut off head. Oriax, fire demon, weakness: holy water, destroy heart. Philatanous, demon of…

Dante rubbed his eyes and tried to focus on the page. He glanced outside at the coming dusk. Furtively he looked over his shoulder. No one was in the room. Euphie had left him hours ago and threatened decapitation if he stopped studying before her say so. Dante leant back in his chair and decided what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her, or him, more precisely.

Darkness.

Soft hands pushing him into a corner.

Screaming.

Blood running down the walls…

"Dante! Dante!"

Someone shook him and he awoke with a start. Euphie leant over him

"How did I get on the floor?"

"You feel from the chair when you were sleeping. You were shouting in your sleep."

He sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. Screaming still echoed in his head.

"Dante, you were shouting in your sleep."

He stood, careful not to look at her.

"Yeah? So what?"

"You were shouting for your mother and your brother."

He spun around and glared at her with eyes that shone with violence and hurt.

"What the hell do you want? And if you mock me I swear I'll deck you."

"I wasn't going to mock you."

"Then what do you want!?"

She simply looked at him sadly and shook her head.

"How much of the book did you read?"

Dante blinked at the change in tone and topic.

"I got up to chapter four."

She sighed heavily

"The longer it takes you to read them the more mornings you'll have it spend reading."

"Mornings?" Dante spluttered. "It's almost dark!"

"Thalia had some business to take care of, so she couldn't take you this afternoon."

"I could have helped! Instead of being stuck in here all day."

"While that is most considerate of you, Thalia was not in need of your skills, impressive though they are."

His eyes narrowed at her tone, which dripped sarcasm.

"Anyway," she continued, seemingly unaware of her near peril. "I hereby give you my permission to stop reading, but wait…you already have! What was it I said about you stopping before I said so? Something about decapitation…"

He rolled his eyes

"Come on. You can hardly expect me to sit here and read that thing _all_ day!"

"You know," she said conversationally. "I've never castrated someone before."

Dante's eyes widened.

"You're joking."

"I don't see anybody laughing."

He lifted up his arms in surrender. "Okay, okay I'm sorry, no need for anything drastic."

To his horror she pulled a knife from a strap at her thigh and examined it. He took a step back.

"Euphie," he said, fear making his voice higher. "What are you doing?"

She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.

"You have been following our conversation haven't you?"

"Yeah but…its not like you're actually gonna do it!"

All the same he took another step back and continued to eye the knife with apprehension.

"Come on Euphie, I'm serious…" he broke off as she began to walk towards him. He took another step back and bumped into Aglaia's desk. He quickly moved around it so it was between him and her.

"Stop joking around okay? I know you're not gonna do it. So just back off. Threatening a guy's manhood is the worst kind of evil."

She snorted.

"Alright scaredy cat," she said and put the knife away. "I've had my fun." She grinned. "But seeing the expression on your face when I pulled out my knife was so worth it."

He scowled at her, though his heart still pounded with mans worst fear.

"But next time you doze off in the middle of a lesson you'll be waking up a eunuch. Hi Aglaia."

Dante whirled around to find Aglaia standing almost directly behind him.

"When the hell did you get here?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't hear me come in?"

He scowled harder.

"Maybe you need to spend some more time in stealth training for amateurs with Thalia."

They stared stonily at each other for a minute before Euphie cleared her throat.

"Would ya look at the time?! I really have to go…else ware…for no reason at all. You two kids have fun."

She walked quickly past them into the apartment, and they stood in tense silence for a few minutes after she shut the door.

Finally Aglaia tossed her head and set a hand on her cocked hip. Dante's mouth watered.

"Well I won't keep you, I'm sure you're wanting to go up to the roof and brood like the tortured soul you are."

She turned to go but he grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her around to face him. Their eyes flashed with anger.

"You wanna run that by me again?"

"I think you heard me the first time."

"Do you have a problem?"

"Me? I don't have a problem. You're the one having a hissy fit."

"Hissy fit?"

"Temper tantrum, hissy fit, what ever you want to call it. I'm sure they're normal for someone with the mental age of five."

Rendered speechless with indignation, Dante could only stare at her with his mouth open. She gave a contemptuous snort before yanking her arm out of his grip and walking away.

She had almost reached the door before he grabbed her and pushed her none too gently against the wall, pinning her arms to her sides as she struggled. He held her there till she stopped, her chest heaving with fury.

He leaned in close and spoke in a voice of deadly quiet.

"I asked you if you had a problem."

"Yeah? I think I told you to go fuck yourself."

He tightened his grip on her arm fractionally but she didn't flinch.

"Maybe you didn't hear me. I'll say it again…What the _fuck_ is your problem? It's not your guns, what is it?"

She tried to look away from him but she caught her face and forced her to meet his eyes.

"What is it?" He whispered.

Her lips trembled as she fought the urge to tell him everything.

Thalia burst in the front door, holding a number of bills aloft triumphantly.

"Hey guys! Guess how much…"

She trailed off as she saw Dante and Aglaia jump apart.

"Oh…awkward…don't mind me I'll just ahhh…" As Euphie had done she walked quickly into the apartment, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. A burst of muffled laughter followed the door closing.

Dante looked at Aglaia and saw he had lost whatever ground he had gained with her. Her face was closed and she was watching him with a mocking smile.

"Well as interesting as this little interlude has been, I really have to cut it short."

He watched as she sauntered away and disappeared behind the door.

"Dante."

Dante groaned and rolled away from the direction of the voice.

"Dante, if you don't wake up you're getting a bucket of water in the face."

He leaped up, furiously blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"I'm up, I'm up," he slurred sleepily.

Thalia smiled prettily and patted his cheek.

"Men. They're so obedient, especially when you threaten them with freezing water at

six O' clock in the morning.

"Six O' clock in the morning?" Dante groaned. "I didn't even know there was a six O' clock in the morning."

"Poor baby," she pouted.

He scowled at her.

"If you think you're gonna make me do stealth training you can forget it."

She sighed. "So ungrateful. But as much as I would love to torment you, I'm teaching you martial arts today."

"Thank god for that. But come on man, six O' clock in the morning, that's just mean."

She raised a brow.

"What lead you to believe I was nice?"

He appeared to consider it.

"Good point."

"They always are. And if you've stopped whining we can maybe start the lesson."

He mumbled something unintelligible though Thalia was sure she heard the words six O'clock attached to a blasphemy.

"I'll take that as a yes. We're on the roof, so get your shit together and meet me up there in five minutes."

He looked daggers at her back as she turned and mounted the stairs to the roof.

"Bitch," he mumbled.

"I heard that!"

Dante squinted at the early morning light as he opened the door to the roof. Thalia stood with her hands on her hips tapping her foot impatiently.

"I believe I said five minutes not fifteen."

"Baby looking this good doesn't just happen."

She lifted a delicate eyebrow.

"Is that so? Next time you put your makeup on do it your watch, not mine."

She appeared to dismiss it and began to instruct Dante on some basic moves.

"Come on," he groaned, after several minutes of this. "I was learning these when I was five."

"Alright since you're such a pro, bring it on."

"You want me to fight you? Come on you're like two feet shorter than me."

Her fist came up faster than he could react to. He staggered back, clutching his cheek.

"What the fuck was that for?" He demanded angrily.

She simply swept past him and slammed the door behind her. When Dante came down a few minutes later Aglaia and Euphie were sitting at the table eating breakfast.

"Dude, what the fuck did you do to Thalia?"

"What did I do to her?" he said, outraged. "She gave me a fucking black eye!"

They fell into convulsive laughter.

"Shut up! She caught me by surprise!"

"I'm sorry I just…" Euphie took several deep breaths to quell the fresh round of giggles rising in her throat. "What did you say to her?"

"Well she wanted to fight me, like actually fight. But I said she was like two feet shorter than me…"

"You called her short?" Aglaia interrupted.

"Well no…not exactly, I…"

"Dude you're so dead."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Calling Thalia short is a big no no."

"I didn't…"

Euphie shook her head. "Shes gonna eat you alive dude, I so wanna be there when she does."

"But…"

"Just let it go, and when it comes, take the beating like a man."

He gave up and sat down heavily.

"Anyway," said Aglaia. "Since you've managed to mortally offend Thalia before ten minutes of the lesson was even over I guess I'll have to take you today."

Dante perked up immediately.

"Man, I've been dying to get my hands on some guns…"

"We're not playing shoot em' up today Dante."

He scowled.

"What then?"

She gave him a mysterious smile. "Come with me."

He readily followed her into a small room at the very back of the house he hadn't been in before. Aglaia took a key out of her pocket and inserted it in the key hole. She opened it to reveal a long chipped table covered in pieces of scrap metal and half made guns. The walls were lined with shelves contained hundred of parts and tools. A forge sat in one corner of the room.

"It's a ahh…great room. But what does it have to do with you teaching me something?"

She groaned in exasperation and rolled her eyes.

"I worry about you Dante, I really do."

"Why? What is this?"

"It's my workshop…where I customise weapons."

His jaw dropped.

"You…customise…weapons?"

She smiled with self satisfaction.

"Who do you think made Ebony and Ivory?"

His jaw dropped further.

She laughed. "Get your tongue off the floor! You should know by now after living with us for close to four months that chicks can do anything."

He slowly closed his mouth and swallowed loudly.

"Of course," he said with a dignified air.

Aglaia hid her smile by turning and walking to her desk. She picked up two identical, fairly generic handguns.

"For the next few weeks we'll work on guns, later I'll teach you swords and knives, but for now we'll stick with guns. There's a chair on the other side of the table. Sit in it."

He obeyed and she sat down opposite him, pushing one of the guns over to him as she did so.

"Okay, today we'll just go over dissembling and reassembling so you can get familiar with all the parts. Grab a screw driver and we'll get started."

They begun the process of her showing him the steps and him following her. They continued until they all the parts of the two guns placed out precisely in front them.

"Right, now I'll attempt to teach you the names of all the pieces, if your brains not in overload from all of Euphies books, not that I had much faith in your brain capacity in the first place..."

He scowled and opened his mouth to retort.

"Aglaia! Dante! Hurry!"

Their eyes meet for the briefest of seconds before they were on their feet running to the sound of Thalia's voice.

Thalia knelt by the open front door with the head of a boy of about ten on her lap. Red stained his once white shirt and blood ran in rivulets down his face from a wound on his head.

Thalia looked up as they burst in.

"He came in like this mumbling about monsters and a woman who sent him here, one of you ring Euphie."

In a few strides Aglaia was at her desk with the phone in her hand.

"Euphie there's a guy here who just came in bleeding like a stuck pig…yeah, just a kid…she says to check for demonic injuries."

Thalia slid his tattered top off and examined his wounds which were deep and strangled coloured.

"Yeah, there from a inferes…okay…bye." She put down the phone. "She says she's on her way and to try and staunch the bleeding, and to get out her kit."

A few minutes later Euphie came running in.

Her eyes locked on Thalia and the boy and she went to them.

"Has he regained consciousness?"

"No, sometimes he talks, but it's delirious."

Euphie examined the boy with practised eyes and hands.

"A few of these are going to need stitches and others are already infected. He's lost a lot of blood. Thalia, hand me the antiseptic."

The boys eyes snapped open and looked around wildly.

"Thalia," he murmured.

"Yes, I'm here."

"The lady…she said to tell you…" he trailed off and his eyes began to close.

Thalia touched his face gently.

"What did she say sweetheart?"

His eyes opened slightly and met hers.

"That the Order of the Dhampir has risen."

The Three Graces went very still. Aglaia and Euphies eyes flew to Thalia while hers remained locked on the boy, who had lost consciousness.

"Aglaia, take her away, Dante, stay here and help me." Euphies voice was clear and calm as she issued the orders.

Aglaia jumped up and took Thalia by the shoulders. Thalia, her initial shock gone, jerked away from her.

"Who?" She almost shouted, shaking the boy hard. "Who said it?"

"Thalia…"

"No! I need to know…"

Aglaia cut across her, her voice deliberately harsh. "Not now! Later."

She grabbed Thalia in a firm hold and hauled her to her feet. Thalia, who could have freed herself with one move, allowed herself to be dragged away, as she stared at the dying boy.

"Dante!" said Euphie sharply. "Antiseptic, now!"

Dante quickly complied with her orders and helped her patch up the kid.

"I didn't know you were the doctor of the house." He said after several minutes of silence.

She smiled as she sewed up a particularly nasty gash.

"You never want to give up all your secrets at once."

He laughed humourlessly.

"You don't think I know that after living with you guys for four months. The only things you guys love more than secrets are your weapons. God forbid, anybody threaten those."

"And yet Aglaia gives you her most prized guns."

He was silent and she sniggered.

"Don't worry; I won't question you about the little crush you have going on. Hell, every man, or should I say boy, who meets her has a crush on her."

Dante pursed his lips and felt a pang of jealousy deep in his gut.

"There, all done…pick him up gently and put him on my bed."

With the utmost care Dante slid his arms under the boy and lifted him. He placed him on the bed, trying not to stretch his stitches. Euphie pulled the covers over him.

"Looks like I'm sleeping on the couch tonight." She said ruefully and turned to go.

Dante frowned.

"But that's where I sleep."

She shot him a grin over her shoulder.

"Guess who's sleeping on the floor tonight."

"Man!"

Dante followed Euphie to Thalia's room, at the door Euphie turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Where do think you're going?"

"I'm going to see Thalia with you."

"Think again. Now beat it."

"I want to know what the hells going on! And what the fuck the Order of the Damper or whatever it was is."

"Well you're fresh out of luck, 'cause you ain't coming in."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?!"

"Get a book from my desk and study, or better yet clean the blood off the office floor."

Before Dante could say anything she had opened the door, entered, and slammed it his face.

Dante thought about breaking it down, but decided against it. Instead he found him self walking back to Euphie's room. He eased open the door and saw the kid was asleep, he was about to close it when the kid cried out, and started to struggle in his sleep.

Dante went over and sat on the bed, and shook the kids arm.

"Hey kid…hey kid wake up!"

The boy continued to struggle, so Dante shook him harder.

"Hey!...Hey WAKE UP!"

His eyes snapped open and he looked frantically around, fear etched into his features.

"It's alright," Dante soothed. "You're safe. What's your name?"

The kid looked around the room once more before trying to speak, terror still in his eyes.

"Aiden."

"Well Aiden, how'd you manage to get yourself bet up so bad?"

His lip trembled and Dante prayed he wouldn't start crying.

"I was with my mum and dad and my little brother…and then there was this weird singing and everything went sorta blurry and this big…thing was leaning over me, it had really big teeth and claws…I tried to run but it caught me, that's how I got hurt…it brought me to this girl, she was real pretty, but her eyes were mean and she sorta glowed…she said that I had to go to a place called the Three Graces and tell Thalia that the Order of the Dhampir has risen...I only got here because I an old man found me and took me here. I didn't want to come in though, I think he was scared..."

He was silent for a few seconds before his brow furrowed, then his eyes turned panicked.

"What about my mum and dad? And Timmy? Are they okay? Where are they?"

He tried to sit up but Dante pushed him back down.

"I'm sure their just peachy, you hang tight and I'll go check it out."

_More like beat it out of those annoying bitches_, he thought.

"Don't go!" Cried Aiden. "I'm scared."

"You don't need me here kid, there ain't nothing to worry about."

_Bullshit._

"Please," he said desperately. "Just stay till I fall a sleep."

Dante hesitated from where he stood at the door, desperately wanting to go but unable to ignore the look of terror on the kids face.

He sighed.

"Yeah alright, but I don't wanna be here half the night, got it?"

Aiden nodded readily and quickly got under the covers.

Dante turned off the light and sat on the end of the bed, hoping that the kid didn't have to lose what was lost to him.

Half an hour later the kid was breathing steadily and Dante was just about it get up when he heard the scuff of a boot in the hall. Careful not to make any sound he went to the door and put his ear against it. Sure enough he heard faint footsteps making their way down the hall. He waited till he couldn't hear them anymore before he quietly opened the door and followed them. Using the skills Thalia taught him, he moved silently down the hall and through the office. He opened the front door to see three shadows disappear round a corner. Picking up the pace he followed them. For several minutes Dante followed at a safe distance, only close enough to see which direction they took.

Then he rounded a corner and he couldn't see them anywhere. He ran to the end of the alley and looked down both adjoining passages but still didn't see them.

He was about to let loose a stream of blasphemy's when he was knocked off his feet, and opened his eyes to see a gun in his face.

"It's just Dante."

He heard someone groan. "Should've known. What the hell are you doing here?"

He sat up and pushed the gun Aglaia held out of his face then scowled at Euphie.

"I'm fine, no, no really I'm fine. No need to help me up, probably only got a mild concussion."

Euphie stepped into the meagre streetlight with a pissed expression on her face.

"I think you forgot to tell me where the fuck you're going."

"That's none of your damn business."

"None of my damn business? I've been living with you guys for what, four months? I think I have the right to know why you all had a spaz the moment the kid said 'The Order of the Dhampir'."

"And I told you, its none of your…"

"I'm making it my goddamn business!"

All the while Thalia had been silent. She stood just apart from the group so Dante couldn't see her face in the shadows.

"All right hot shot," said Aglaia, pushing her way in front of Euphie, waving her gun at him. "I'm gonna give you five seconds to piss off or…"

She stopped abruptly, and whipped her head round to the left.

"Wha…"

"Quiet," she whispered sharply.

Then he heard it. A beautiful singing. The pure lilting tones seemed to flow through him. Pleasure followed in their wake. Smiling, he took a step towards it and was grasped by two sets of hands.

"Euphie, what is it?" said Aglaia, not taking her eyes off the direction of the singing.

"Sounds like a seirene, they use that song to lure men to their death."

Aglaia paused and listened.

"It doesn't sound that great to me."

"That's because it only works on men, it sounds more like a banshee to woman."

"How hard are they to kill?"  
"Relatively easy if you're a woman because you're not susceptible to their call, but a man is defenceless. A bullet it the head or the heart would do it"

"It's getting louder."

"We have to get rid of this one, or he'll walk grinning like a fool to his death." She looked around and saw a door to an abandoned warehouse.

"Come on, over here."

They tightened their hold on Dante and forced him to walk in the direction of the door. Euphie tried the handle.

"It's locked. Aglaia."

She moved aside as Aglaia took a handgun out of its holster, and shot a hole through the lock.

"Much obliged."

"Any time."

They entered the warehouse, with Thalia trailing behind.

"We have to find some way to immobilise him."

"Maybe we should just let her have him," said Aglaia in an annoyed voice.

"Jealous maybe?"

"Bite me."

Suddenly the singing erupted in the cavernous hall, echoing off the high walls. The Three Graces all collapsed in pain, the unholy screaming pressing painfully upon them.

"What the hell his happening?" Shouted Aglaia over the singing.

"I don't know! I've never heard one that could do this!"

Dante took a dreamy step forward, his eyes glazed over. Euphies hand shot out and grabbed his ankle, yanking it out from underneath him. He fell without trying to break his fall, all the while wearing the same stupefied expression. The pitch of the voice increased and Aglaia, Euphie and Thalia screamed out in pain. Their vision clouded over as the voice reached inside them and jarred their very bones. Dante slowly got up, his eyes fixed on the beautiful woman walking out of the dark to greet him, two inferes trailing behind her.

"Come here, my sweet," she purred, reaching out to him. His fumbling pace increased.

Nightmares forced themselves on the Three Graces. The voice sought the most horrible moments of their life and played them over and over behind their closed eyes where they couldn't turn away. Tears streamed from their clenched eyes.

The woman's hands closed over Dante's face.

"Dante," she breathed. "You have no idea how long I've waited to meet you."

The two inferes stalked past them toward the woman moaning on the floor.

Dante just sighed in happiness as he stared into her hypnotic eyes. Her hands tightened and her nails dug into his flesh, but he couldn't feel anything but her warmth. As she drew his lips to hers, her jaw dislocated and grew larger, her teeth sharper, but Dante just stared into her eyes and let himself be pulled towards her.

Four shots rang out behind him followed by two loud thuds.

"Take your fucking hands off him you bitch, or you get one between the eyes."

The demon looked around Dante to see Thalia in a crouch holding a gun in her shaking hands, the two inferes lying dead only a few feet away from her. Sweat streamed down her face with the effort not to succumb to the effects of the creature's voice.

It shoved Dante aside and smiled widely, displaying its pointed teeth.

"It's so good to see you again Thalia, don't you recognise me?"

Thalias voice was laboured as she struggled to breathe. "You'd think...I would if I saw someone as ugly as you before...but...I'm afraid I don't."

She forced herself to her feet, her legs shook with the effort.

"I'm disappointed sister, we were so close."

Thalia froze, and her eyes grew wide.

The thing laughed.

"Oh but it is me. I suppose I have you to thank since you refused to drink the Blood of your Blood."

"Cassandra," she whispered.

It sneered. "You think I'd keep that pathetic name? Call me Griselda."

"How could you!? I save you and you turn yourself into this?"

"And throw away this power? This strength? You never saw the true meaning of The Order of the Dhampir, I did. You were weak and scared, I was strong. I overcame human weakness and took this form as my own."

It walked toward her, its hips swaying provocatively.

"And now I've been sent to kill the family traitor. The first person in a hundred years to betray the Order, and kill his own."

"Stay back!" Thalia cried and brandished her gun. "Stop or I'll shoot!"

It laughed. "You won't kill me. You can't. You couldn't do it then, you couldn't do it now. You're weak _Helana_, and I'm going to enjoy hearing you scream when I peel the flesh off your bones."

In a flash it closed the distance between them and grabbed her throat, squeezing until she couldn't breathe.

"It's too bad you had to kill my pets, I was growing quite fond of them. They were a present from a very nice man who has an interest in your friend Dante."

Thalia made a small sound somewhere between a squeak and a grunt and struggled to free herself from her sisters hands.

"You can't get away this time Helana, I've caught you, you and you're pathetic friends. Maybe I'll even make you watch when as I kill them."

"That sounds like one hell of a party, but I'm afraid we can't accept."

It turned just in time to see the gun before the bullet embedded itself in her skull and Griselda and Cassanda sunk to the floor, turning to dust as she went.

Dante smiled and blew the smoke the end of the barrel.

Thalia sucked it the air she had been denied, first by her sister's hand, then by her death. It came out in a low whimper and her legs gave out from under her.

Thalia and Euphie shook themselves from their trance and rushed to her. Holding her to them as she shook.

When her breathing was steady she detached herself from her friends' arms and stood.

"Come on, we should be getting back, the kid could find Aglaias gun room any minute and shot himself in the foot."

"Actually he's…" Dante began, but broke off when Aglaia sent him a quelling look. They walked back to the Three Graces in silence. Dante had to bite his tongue not to ask.

They entered the building and went into the apartment. Euphie took Thalia over to the couch and sat her down. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence Euphie suggested she take Thalia to bed.

Unable to hold on any longer Dante burst out, "Hey! I think I…"

"Dante, let it go or so help me god…" Aglaia threatened.

"No," Thalia said quietly. "He should know."

Mollified and curious Dante quickly sat back down.

"I grew up in a family which worshipped demons. I didn't see anything wrong with it, it was normal; I had lived with it from the day I was born. I was part of a dying cult that called itself the Order of the Dhampir. I hardly ever had any contact with the outside world, so never knew what it was like, that what we did was wrong, that the creatures we worshipped were evil…every five years there was a ritual to be initiated into the elite of the Order and two members of the cult were picked to perform the ritual. They never came back. We were always told, they had 'moved on'…then one day they came to me and my sister Cassandra and said our time had come. I was sixteen and she was just twelve."

She halted and looked down at her hands, which she has been wringing. She forced them to be still. Taking a deep breath she continued.

"We were so happy; finally we were going to join the Order of the Dhampir. We were separated and I went through the initiation ceremony. I performed the ritual of fasting, chanting of the ancient words, and everyday at night for thirteen days I bathed in blood, I was told it was animals blood and I accepted that. Then the day for the ceremony began. I was so exited. I was dressed in special clothes and rubbed in scented oils. They took me to a huge stone hall I'd never seen before, there were statues of demons everywhere, I remember being frightened of them, but I told myself not to be silly, they were my gods, my protectors.

"All the elders of my family were there, dressed in black robes, I was in red. They lead me to a dark pool which I knew contained more blood. I was given a knife and told to put my blood into the pool. I did. Then they said some words over me. That was when they brought out Cassandra. I was happy to see her. She looked so small in her big red robe. They said some words over her then placed a circlet of silver and rubies on her head. They told me I had to drink the blood of my blood, then immerse myself in the pool, and I would be part of the Order. They pushed Cassandra at me holding her head held back so her throat was exposed, one of the elders next to me held a ceremonial cup. Then I understood what they wanted me to do. They wanted me to slit my sister's throat and drink her blood. I just froze, shocked, appalled they would ask me to do this. They urged me on. I finally said I wouldn't. They said I had to, that to join the Order I had to relinquish all human weakness. Love was the worst of human weakness. So you had to kill the one you loved most. I turned and fled. I couldn't do it and I fled. I fought my way out of the keep that was home to the cult with the knife they had given me and never went back. But all for nothing. Cassandra did it. She killed and drank when they told her too. The blood I had bathed in was the blood of babies, just babies, innocents."

Her last words were just a whisper and she lapsed into silence, staring off into the memories of that last night.

"So the Order of the Dhampir was…"

"Demons who were once human, yes.

"Years later I hunted down and killed many of the leaders of the Order, after which the rest of the followers disbanded. I thought I had destroyed the cult forever but apparently I was mistaken."

"The Order of the Dhampir has risen." He murmured, repeating Cassandras words.

"Yes."

"Alright," said Aglaia, standing up. "You learned what you wanted to know."

They were about to disappear behind the door when Dante suddenly remembered.

"Hey, what about the kids family?"

They stopped and turned to him.

"What about them?"

"He said they were with him when he was attacked by the demons."

Aglaia and Euphie exchanged glances. Euphie inclined her head toward Dante and took Thalia out of the room. Aglaia remained.

"You know they're dead right?"

"They might still be alive."

She snorted.

"Yeah and they might have a Popsicle stand in hell."

He gave her a level look.

"I'm going to check it out, are you coming or not?"

She groaned.

"Do I have to?"

"No."

She made a face.

"That's why I have to. If you told me I had to then I could have told you to take a hike, but since you said I don't have to..."

She trailed off and looked at him despairingly.

"I don't quite get the logic in that but whatever makes you happy."

"Can it smart ass, I'm doing you a favour."

"If you say so."

She decided to ignore him.

"Are we going then?"

"Ladies first."

"I guess that means you."

He looked pointedly at her impressive bosom.

"Pervert," she muttered and swept past him.

He grinned but the smile faded quickly as he thought of what he did and at the same time didn't want to find.

"I hope you aren't squeamish because the best we're going to find is some bits of meat and bone, and possibly hair, don't forget the hair."

Dante ignored her and pushed open the warehouse door. Patches of ashes still covered the floor.

"You look in here and I'll look around outside."

"Dante," she said seriously, taking his arm. 'We aren't going to find them. You know that right? They're dead."

He shook her off.

"I'm not going back to that boy and say we didn't even look. What were you going to do with him anyway? Put him back on the street?"

Anger flashed in her eyes.

"Of course not! Euphie knows some people..."

"Great, she knows some people. Then _she_ can tell him his parents are dead and he's going to live with complete strangers."

Understanding dawned in her eyes and she laid a hand gently on his sleeve.

"Okay Dante, we'll look."

He turned away, hating himself for letting it get to him, for letting it show.

He stalked angrily down the alley, not even looking, just walking blindly away, from her, from his memories.

He almost didn't hear the whimper. He had just kicked a trash can over, feeling a grim satisfaction that it made such a loud noise, when he heard it. The tiniest little sound of a frightened child.

Abruptly he stopped, careful not to make any sound as he listened for it again. He heard a faint rustle of clothes from behind a number of crates just ahead of him. Slowly he approached them. As he got closer he heard breathing, it got faster as he got closer. He shoved one of the top crates away, a scream accompanied the crash it made as it hit the ground.

He looked over the bottom crate and saw a crouching woman holding a little boy of about four close to her, her hand over his mouth. She stared at Dante with eyes that were both terrified and fierce. He judged from her strangle hold on the boy she would defend him to the death.

He lifted up his hands to show her they were empty.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he said softly. "Do you have a son called Aiden?"

Her eyes flickered with pain at the name but she said nothing.

"I'm taking care of him, he's safe. I want to help you. You don't have to fear the demon woman, she's dead."

Her expression wavered but she still didn't move or speak."

"I promise I won't hurt you, or either of your sons."

Slowly he extended a hand to her. She studied it for a long time before putting her own trembling hand in his. Carefully he led her out from behind the crates.

"Dante! I couldn't find them in there. Where are you?"

At the sound of Aglaia's voice the woman immediately tried to pull away, but Dante held firm.

"It's okay, she's a friend, she won't hurt you."

"Who are you talking...to..."

Aglaia blinked in surprise when she saw the tiny, frightened woman trying desperately to wrench her hand from Dante's grasp.

She recovered and frowned at Dante.  
"Stop manhandling the poor woman! Can't you see she's scared out of her mind?"

Dante immediately let go of her and she fell backward, felled by her own attempts at escape. Aglaia slowly approached her and crouched just a few feet away.

"Don't mind him sweetie, he doesn't know the first thing about female sensibilities. We have your other son and he's perfectly fine, a few scratches that's all. What's your name?"

She woman opened her mouth, cleared her throat, then started again.

"Ellen."

"Well Ellen I'm Aglaia. Do you know where your husband is?"

What was left of the woman's composure suddenly failed and she broke down in tears, clutching her son to her.

Aglaia moved forward and held her, stroking her head and making comforting noises. Finally the woman got a hold of herself and looked at Aglaia with puffy red eyes.

"Is Aiden really okay? I saw that...that thing take him away. But...but I couldn't do anything...I had to take care of Timmy."

Fresh tears started flowing down her face.

"Yes he's safe and sound. Would you like us to take you to him?"

She nodded mutely, and stood with Aglaia's help.

"Is that woman really dead?"

"Yes, Dante killed her."

"Good."

Later Dante was sitting on the roof. The dawn light slowly warming the cold skies.

"They're asking for you Dante."

Dante turned to see Aglaia walking toward him.

"Ellen wants the chance to give you her undying gratitude, since she didn't get the chance to before."

'I'm not one for heartfelt family reunions."

"Must have been the other Dante who insisted we look for them then."

When he looked away and didn't answer, she sighed and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"What are you thinking?"

His lips quirked up at the tips.

"I thought chicks only asked that after sex."

She snorted.

"How would you know?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Actually I am curious how you managed to talk a girl into bed."

"I have my ways."

"I imagine they involve a lot of alcohol."

"Maybe I'll test them out on you sometime."

"Maybe you'll also get a bullet in the head."

"We'll have to see won't we?"

"See your brain matter? I don't think that's necessary."

"Someday Aglaia..."

"In your dreams Dante."

He just smiled at her. After a few minutes of silence he spoke.

"I've been thinking...'

"Really? That must have been a change."

"Look you're the one who asked alright?"

"Don't know what I was expecting."

"Why do I bother?" he muttered.

"Okay I promise I won't tease you anymore," she turned and looked expectantly at him, her hands folded very properly on her lap. "Please carry on," she said soberly.

He gave her a hard look before continuing.

"I was thinking of the demon who seems to have an unlimited supply of inferes and an unhealthy interest in me. He's becoming a bit of a pain in the arse."

"Quite."

"I asked you to be serious, not the queen of fucking England."

An unwilling giggle escaped her, but she remained in her prim posture, trying valiantly to keep from smiling.

"I really have a no notion of what you are speaking of my good sir."

"Alright now you're just being a dick, can you please be serious for a couple of minutes? _Serious_. Do I have a spell it out for you?"

She appeared to think about it. "It may help."

He let out a frustrated groan and stood up.

"You know what? I really can't be fucked, so you can just..."

"Dante sit down."

"If you're gonna..."

"Sit down."

He scowled at her, but complied.

"I know what you've been thinking because I've been thinking it myself. His tactics are getting ugly, preying on innocent people, bringing Thalia's past into it. We need to get this guy, and soon, before he can do anymore damage."

He nodded. "Not to mention the new breed of inferes he's developed."

"That too. And we'll be there with you Dante, every step of the way."

He smiled. "I'm touched."

"You should be. But that doesn't mean we're going after him tomorrow, you still need more training."

He made a low grunt of dissatisfaction.

"Yes, yes we know. Poor Dante, how dare we help him become a demon hunter without even charging him, its criminal!"

"If you're going to start charging, you're going to start paying me when I help out on jobs."

"Yeah...nah."

"No? Then you can forget me paying."

They glowered at each other for a few seconds before she spotted something over his shoulder.

"Here's your fan club."

"What?" He turned and saw Aiden watching him with a shy smile.

"Hey buddy."

"Hi."

"You happy to see your mum?"

"Yeah, she's happy to see me too. Sometimes she cries about daddy though."

Dante and Aglaia looked at each other. She made a fractional movement of the head toward the little boy.

He sighed and walked over. Crouching he was at eye level with the boy.

"I'm sorry about your dad. We got the thing that did it though."

Aiden nodded. "Mama said you did."

"Yeah."

"I want to be like you when I grow up."

Leaving Dante speechless he ran back inside.

"Awww, that was so cute."

Dante stood and glared and her menacingly.

"One word about this to the others..."

"Sorry, secrets already out."

Dante suppressed a groan at the sound of Thalia's voice behind him. She and Euphie went to stand on each side of Aglaia.

"I am so not in the mood for anymore of you peoples crap, so..."

"Relax," said Euphie. "We can resist for one day, after all we have a whole three months to tease you."

"I can't wait," he muttered moodily.

"Exactly my sentiments."

"Look," said Thalia. "Sunrise."

They all turned and watched the sun spread its light and warmth, bringing life where there had been death.

Euphie reached out for Thalia's hand.

Dante turned and smiled down at Aglaia, who smiled back.

Downstairs Ellen stroked her sons head, sunlight threading gold into his hair.


End file.
